Is Music Streaming Ushering a Musical Renaissance?

Apple Music and Spotify have just about annihilated every incentive to buy music. Music labels and established artists may bemoan this bank-breaking disruption, but, for the little guys, it might signal the dawn of a new age where music quality—and not budget—actually matters.

Back in 1981, the very first video aired by MTV was Buggles singing "Video Killed The Radio Star", which marked a new era for music listeners. It appears the video element is now superseded by convenience. 

Apple Music and Spotify offer unlimited streaming for every family member at only $14.99/month. It's a bargain. And it easily explains why music streaming has risen roughly 108 percent.

Unexpectedly, streaming from audio platforms has surpassed those of video services such as YouTube and Vevo. Listeners of both Spotify and Apple Music now have over 30 million tracks at their disposal. Almost any song that pops into their heads can be enjoyed within a few seconds. Ironically, the majority of people are only listening to a handful of songs repeatedly.

In the UK, for example, Drake's "One Dance" is on its 14th week at number one. (In terms of sales, it's not even in the top ten.) As it stands, repetitive consumption rather than sales is the new measure of success. 

I believe that most people reading this would admit that they have playlists with their favorite songs for every mood and occasion. And yet, when it comes to discovering new music, most would also admit that they are either too lazy or too busy to take full advantage of the freedom that music streaming offers. 

There are two ways of looking at this change in how we consume our music.

The first is positive. Mainstream media practices tended to suppress grassroots talent and hyper-expose tailor-made artists. With music streaming, grassroots talent can publicize their music without buying into the music industry. 

The second is doleful. The freedom of music streaming does absolutely nothing for grassroots talent because we are so accustomed to being spoon-fed artists by mainstream media—and Simon Cowell—that all we know how to do is replay songs.  

I believe that most people reading this would admit that they have playlists with their favorite songs for every mood and occasion. And yet, when it comes to discovering new music, most would also admit that they are either too lazy or too busy to take full advantage of the freedom that music streaming offers.

The truth is anyone can record a song and promote it themselves without the need for a recording contract. It's been that way since before music streaming. So if we are honest, the music industry started losing its power years ago.

Fortunately, radio still retains a foothold in our media consumption habits. We shouldn't sing a dirge for it just yet. Sure radio faces challenges with the smartphone generation, as there is increasing demand for fresh and relevant content. Nevertheless, Drake's "One Dance" still managed to garner 10.62 million US in the past week alone.

Although the days of exorbitant earnings from albums and singles may be fading, there are many reasons why you still see tickets valued at $100 when your favorite artist comes to town. 

On the fringes some artists are carving out substantial earnings under this new system. Perhaps not millions, but there's nothing wrong with that. True artists who do what they do for passion don't typically care for millions.

The truth is anyone can record a song and promote it themselves without the need for a recording contract. It's been that way since before music streaming. So if we are honest, the music industry started losing its power years ago.

We have more options now than ever before. Eventually, we'll grow weary of replaying the same songs, of listening to them on the radio, and of falling in love with Simon Cowell's starlets. When we do, there will be many hidden gems to explore. 

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